


All Hands on Deck

by stripeypirate



Category: Naruto
Genre: Banter, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Sakura learns to believe in herself, Swimming, cha!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 15:36:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7273831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stripeypirate/pseuds/stripeypirate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura's spent countless early mornings working her butt off in the pool, but no matter how much effort she puts in she just can't seem to get on the same level as her teammates. This District Finals meet is approaching, which isn't helping her confidence either. Can't a girl get some recognition?</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Hands on Deck

**5:45 AM**

Sakura yawned and rubbed at the grit in her eyes. In the pre-dawn gloom, the parking lot to the aquatic center took on a lonely, apocalyptic cast. She longed for steaming cup of coffee, but knew from experience she’d regret it later. She reached over to the passenger seat where her equipment bag waited like a loyal dog. She’d have to change fast- it wouldn’t do to be late so close to the District Finals meet, but not even the four alarms she’d set up had been enough to drag her out of bed on time.

_How did I wind up here?_

Sakura saw herself at age ten; shuffling self-consciously in a saggy pink one-piece with echoes of her mother’s pleas to get more exercise ringing in her mind. A lady should be in control of both mind and body, and with all the sweets she’d been eating recently there was a chance she wouldn’t fit into her debutante gown for the spring ball…

Twenty minutes into practice she’d dragged herself out of the water and lain panting on deck until she gathered up the mental fortitude to get back in. After that, there’d been no looking back. Not even after Ino quit in seventh grade to join the cheerleading squad because she didn’t want to get “man arms”.

Sakura smiled to herself as she snapped her swim cap over her wild hair. The locker room was mostly clear by now, with only a few stragglers left besides herself. As she headed out to the pool, she gave an encouraging nod to Hinata, who seemed to be giving herself a mini pep-talk in the mirror.

Immediately she was struck by the familiar tang of chlorine and the chaotic sound of voices and splashing that echoed off the tile. It brought back a mix of hope, trepidation, and determination that twisted like a fist in her gut.

_I can do this. I won’t ever be the best, but I’ll always try my hardest._

“Hey! Hey! Sakura’s here! Sakuraaaaaa! Hurry up or you’ll be later than Coach Kakashi.” Naruto flailed his sun-tanned arms about, making enough noise that the whole building could hear him.

The best swimmers usually took the middle fourth and fifth lanes, with the slowest participants taking the outer edges. Lane seven, however, had grown to be somewhat of an anomaly over the years. Sakura was perhaps the only one that truly belonged there- not bad enough to be relegated to lane eight, but not exactly a star teammate in any sense of the word. Naruto certainly had the muscle (not to mention the bone-headed stubbornness that kept him swimming laps long after everyone had left), but his abrasive personality hadn’t earned him many friends despite his best efforts.

_If I hadn’t been so lonely after Ino quit, I would’ve kept rejecting him too._

Sasuke on the other hand … Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. He was cool and chiseled and well, kind of a dick once he opened his mouth. Coaches loved him for his flawless technique and speed. The rest of the team respected and resented him in equal measure for the same reason.

An outsider might wonder why he’d been relegated to the rejects lane at all, especially considering the arrogance and pride that fueled every stroke and more often than not drove him to victory, but if pressed for an answer, Sasuke would glare the asker into submission.

Of course, Sakura had put two and two together years ago. The record board was plastered with the name “Itachi Uchiha”, who had apparently been able to swim everything from the 200 fly to the mile with scorchingly fast times which may have put him as an Olympic contender in the years he was eligible to qualify.  The same Itachi Uchiha who lifeguarded in the mornings on the other side of the pool and bore a striking resemblance to Sasuke. Who sometimes liked to call out “helpful” advice to his little brother.

Sakura supposed if she had a sibling like that she might want to stay as far away as possible from them too. 

“Didja hear Coach is posting the roster for Districts after practice today? Finally!” She was shaken out of her musings by Naruto’s enthusiastic prattle.

“I’m so gonna win the fifty free this year, believe it!”

“Will you quiet down?” Sasuke griped. He splashed half-heartedly at the blond, still not quite awake.

“Make me, dumbass. I’m mop the uh, pool with you this time, you’ll see.”

“Like all the other times you’ve come in dead last?”

Naruto howled and threw himself at Sasuke in a whirl of white water and thrashing limbs.

Normally Sakura enjoyed her teammates banter, but Naruto’s initial comment made her stomach clench with unease again.

_What’ll I contribute? Maybe a few points as part of a relay, but I’m not like those two. I don’t get put in the good heats, and I definitely don’t win. Maybe this year Kakashi’ll finally give up and stick me on a bench with a piece of paper and a time clock._

A sharp whistle pierced the air. Naruto and Sasuke grudgingly slunk apart as the rest of the chatter quieted down to the occasional snicker.

“Alright then,” Coach Kakashi had materialized from behind an empty lifeguard chair, “As many of you gossips already know, today’s the day I post the roster for the final meet of the season. So work hard, or whatever. I don’t really care if you make the cut or not.” He then proceeded to climb up into the chair and sat with a relaxed sigh.

“That’s better. 500 meter warm-up. Then the fun starts.” There was a wicked gleam in his eye that promised pain, and lots of it. As the swimmers jostled for position in their respective lanes, Kakashi pulled out his ever-present magazine and started to flip through the pages with intense interest. Cosmo, Sakura guessed from the lurid cover, though she wouldn’t have been surprised if her coach had dared read Playboy in front of a group of high-schoolers.

_How can he even tell if we’ve made progress if he keeps his nose buried in a stupid book all the time?_ She lamented as she pushed off the wall. Naruto and Sasuke were already surging forward and it wouldn’t do for her to fall behind this early.

 

* * *

 

An hour and a half later and Sakura’s breaths were coming in ragged gasps. The boys showed no signs of slowing down, but she’d only been lapped once by each of them, so she’d take it. Kakashi had put them through an absolutely punishing sprint set, followed by some stroke work, and finally a distance/cool-down combo set that had her wondering if maybe it wasn’t too late to try out for the cheer squad after all. It was as if he was testing every facet of swimming to see what their strengths and weaknesses would be for finals, which, Sakura realized ruefully, he probably was.

At last another whistle sounded to signify the end of practice. She hung back as the rest of the team surged forward to crowd around the roster.

_If I don’t look now I could beat the crowds back to the locker room. What’s the rush to find out that I’m in the B-heat of a relay and the hundred breastroke?_

By the hooting noises Naruto was making and Sasuke’s small, smug smile, she assumed they’d gotten plum assignments.

_Oh well, not everybody can come in first. I’ll cheer them on from the sidelines as usual._

Wincing at the stitch in her side, Sakura pulled herself out of the pool. She was painfully aware of her teammates’ chatter as they filed out into the locker rooms, glowing with pride or commiserating with one another over a missed opportunity. Naruto and Sasuke never seemed to care what events she was going to swim. Sometimes she’d wished they’d tease her about being slow, so she could laugh it off and move on rather than treat it like an open, shameful secret that hung heavy around her; a veil that separated her from the boys.

_Shut up,_ she whispered fiercely to herself. _You worked hard for this. You know what to expect so don’t be disappointed._

Sakura scanned the list with dull eyes, but didn’t see her name listed under any of the slower sprint heats, the 100 breastroke, or the B-relay. Her heart sank down to her toes.

_I didn’t make the cut at all?_

She tried to muffle a shaky, sniffling breath that came out far too loud in the nearly-empty pool.

“I know most people aren’t fond of mid-distance events, but is it really that bad?”

Sakura whirled around. She’d forgotten Kakashi, still perched on the lifeguard’s chair like an ungainly bird.

“You’ve made a lot of progress this year,” he continued blandly. “I’ve decided to mix things up a little, make people swim events they aren’t used to based on their strengths. You, for instance, have marvelous technique and are versatile in that you can swim each stroke equally well. Your stamina could still use a little work, but I think you might do well in the IM.”

I.M. Individual Medly. Sakura’s brain stuttered. That event was often reserved for the strongest swimmers as it required not only endurance to power through 200 or 400 meters, but also the skills to switch between butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

“I-I’m not sure…”

Kakashi cleared his throat. “I’m making the changes slowly so people won’t riot when I take them out of their favorite events. Still, I imagine Naruto’s going to throw a fit when I tell him he’s going to be a distance swimmer. But you’ve always been good at taking direction. That’s one of the reasons you’ve improved so quickly. I can count on you, yeah?”

She gave a nervous smile in return before snatching the roster off the board for a closer look. She was in the second-fastest heat in the 400-IM and the fastest for the 200. She also noted that Sasuke was slated to swim the 100m butterfly along with his traditional sprint freestyle events. So she wasn’t the only one Kakashi had started to move around…

A strange new sensation pulled at her stomach; fluttery nerves mixed with pride. Sakura practically skipped into the locker room.

_I can do this!_

 

* * *

 

_Who am I kidding, I can’t do this!_

In the week leading up to the finals meet, the pride Sakura felt had slowly but surely given over entirely to nerves. She’d never been under so much pressure to perform well before. Most people didn’t pay much attention to the slow heats, watching on with bored expressions as they waited for the main event. This time she _was_ the main event. For two races she’d never competed in before, no less. And if she didn’t live up to Kakashi’s expectations…

_I’ll be demoted to lane eight. I’ll never see a good relay again. I’ll have to quit swimming and pick up another hobby that isn’t so stressful. Crocheting. Or cabinet-making. Those sound nice and relaxing. No more waking up at the ass-crack of dawn, getting soaked in freezing water-_

“Are you alright?”

Sakura nearly slammed her forehead into Sasuke’s nose as she startled at the sound of his voice.

“W-why wouldn’t I be?” She folded her arms in an attempt to look cool, calm, and collected. All around her swimmers from other teams sprawled across the deck to stretch. A few had even ventured into the pool to start warming up, even though they still had an hour before the meet started.

Sasuke glanced down at her with an eyebrow raised. “Your knuckles are white and if you clutch that water bottle any tighter you’re going to dent it.”

Sakura made a concentrated effort to pry her fingers open.

“So?”

“Look, a little nervous energy is a good thing but if you get too wound up you’ll choke,” he said, rolling his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was a little refreshing. Like he was talking to Naruto. “You need to relax.”

“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled under her breath before she could stop herself. Since when did she talk back to Sasuke?

He smirked. “You can do this, Sakura. Took Kakashi long enough to pull his head out of his porn to realize you’re perfect for the IM.” He cracked his neck and wandered off towards the starting blocks. Sakura stared after him, flabbergasted.

_Did Sasuke just give me a compliment?_

Suddenly her heart was beating twice as fast as it had been before.    

 

* * *

 

“Will the participants in the women’s 200-meter Individual Medley please make your way to the start?”

Moment of truth. Sakura stood on legs full of pins and needles. Naruto gave her a thumbs-up and an encouraging punch on the shoulder. Sasuke’s wooden expression didn’t change but he met her eyes and nodded.

_They’re counting on me._

She held her head high as she approached the starting blocks, a gesture she hoped would belie her shaking knees. The other girls looked bigger, meaner, tougher.

_Don’t let them intimidate you. Fake it._

Sakura fixed one of Ino’s sardonic smiles to her lips. As if she could swim this race in her sleep.

“Step up.”

She curled her toes under the rough edge of the starting block and forced herself to take slow, deep breaths.

“Take your marks.”

She hunched over, pulling up through her fingertips to cage all that tension in order to propel herself forward when the time came.

The starting gun went off with a bang, and Sakura released the pressure she’d been holding in one raw burst of energy. She kept her body tight as she hit the water; sleek and smooth like a torpedo so as not to lose momentum. She kicked furiously underwater as long as she could before breaking the surface to begin the butterfly.

_Arms straight, drive with your chest and hips, breathe. Kakashi said your technique was your greatest strength- don’t get lazy._

By the time she touched the wall for her turn at the 25-meter mark her lungs were already burning, but she pushed off as quickly as she came, allowing herself only a tiny sip of air. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw the girl next to her start to pull ahead as she floundered down the lane.

_Hold steady. If you push too hard now you won’t have any energy left. Try and outlast her._

Backstroke was a breath of sweet, sweet air. She relished that her face was out of the water and slowed her pace only slightly to build up energy for the breaststroke lap, and finally, the fifty free.

Sakura forced her wooden limbs into motion. The girl in the next lane was still out ahead but was she starting to tire or was that merely wishful thinking?

_Last lap, pull out all the stops._

She thought about Sasuke and Naruto and how her name would never be on the record board but goddamn she wasn’t about to let Lane Seven down. She slammed her hand into the touchpad for the finish, gasping as she surfaced. The crowd’s cheers were muffled by the water in her ears. Cautiously, Sakura turned her head to look at the scoreboard.

Second place. She’d been beaten by whoever had been in lane four, but somehow that didn’t matter. Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for her at the finish line.

“Nice,” Sasuke smirked at her as he held out a hand to help her out of the pool.

“Yeah! I knew you could do it. Didja hear me cheering? You were right on that other chick’s tail the whole time and then that last lap came up and you were like ‘uh-uh this is MY race’ and-”   

She ruffled Naruto’s chlorine-burnished hair affectionately.

“I still have another to swim, you know. One that's twice as long.”

But her heart was light as she made her way back to the bleachers with her teammates, joking all the way. Kakashi gave her a thumbs-up as they passed. Sakura's arms and legs felt like wet noodles, but that didn't matter. Naruto and Sasuke were there on either side to prop her up. She'd earned her place on the squad.   

 

**Author's Note:**

> At first I almost changed it to an ordinary swim meet since most coaches wouldn't put people in new events at the last second but then I remembered that Kakashi pulled the Chuunin Exams out of his ass so I figured it'd be in character. Also, if you're confused by any of the swimming terminology don't hesitate to ask (though maybe you've all seen Free by now? idk)
> 
> Unbeta'd so I apologize for any mistakes.


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